Briefly: August 28, 2015

Student awards

Students who follow a variety of pathways to graduate with a Dogwood Diploma, will be eligible to apply for provincial scholarships.

A press release from the ministry of education, Wednesday, August 26, announced a more flexible Provincial Scholarships program to be launched this fall.

“The revised program provides more flexibility to recognize well-rounded students who excel beyond the classroom, supports a broad range of student achievement and reflects the different pathways students follow to earning their Dogwood Diplomas,” the press release stated.

The program is believed to better align with BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, matching students with in-demand career skills. It is also thought to harness a student’s individual passions and interests in the classroom.

“Our revamped scholarship program is going to better recognize the diversity of our students and their successes—in the classroom, on the field, on the stage and in the community,” said Mike Bernier, education minister, in the release.

The dollar value of scholarships is also increasing. The press release describes four main scholarships:

BC Excellence Scholarship: commitment to a particular career path and a demonstration of community involvement/leadership skills;

Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship: academic achievement and commitment to a teaching career;

BC Achievement Scholarship: achievement in grades 10, 11 and 12 courses required for graduation and top elective courses; and

District/Authority Scholarship: criteria determined by local districts to celebrate achievement in a variety of areas including technical and trades training, fine arts, physical activity, applied skills, international languages, community service and indigenous languages and culture.

The changes come after consultation with parents and students, educators, school districts, stakeholders, independent school authorities and the general public. Responses included the request to eliminate scholarships based solely on exam results.

According to the press release, “BC’s scholarship program has been in place since 1987. Once the revised program is fully implemented it will provide more than $15 million to students each year.”

The scholarships maintain the focus of encouraging high-school graduates to engage in further education, by providing awards in the form of a voucher to be used upon registration and payment at a designated post-secondary institution.

The program will be phased in during the fall for full implementation in the 2016-17 school year.

This week an incident served as an important reminder for drivers to apply emergency brakes when parked on a hill.

At approximately 4:50 pm on Tuesday, August 25, a parked blue Toyota station wagon came out of gear in the 4500 block of Marine Avenue. The vehicle’s owner was present, although not behind the wheel.

The vehicle rolled out of the driveway and across Marine, sideswiping a brown Chevrolet Equinox in the process. The vehicle then jumped the curb eventually coming to rest against Sublime Fashions’ storefront, causing some damage. No one was injured.

“When your car is parked on a hill, put it in gear and also apply your emergency brake,” said Sergeant Kevin Day of Powell River RCMP. “Then, if your car pops out of gear the emergency brake provides a secondary backup.”